Former NYPD police officer Peter Liang was convicted in February of fatally shooting 28-year-old Akai Gurley while patrolling an East New York housing project. Earlier this week, Brooklyn District Attorney Ken Thompson recommended that Liang get five years of probation, but no prison time. That recommendation enraged Gurley's family, and now, jurors from Liang's trial are expressing their own disapproval of this most recent turn of events.
The Daily News spoke with an anonymous 62-year-old juror who said that his own father had to serve over seven years in prison when he accidentally shot one of his friends. He thinks that Liang shouldn't be getting any special treatment just because he's a police officer.
“What was the point of prosecuting him? What did we do this for?" the juror demanded. "I agree he doesn't deserve tremendous time...but if something is wrong, you shouldn't get a slap on the wrist."
Another juror hadn't heard about Thompson's recommendation until they were informed about it by the tabloid, and was reportedly shocked, asking, "Wow, is this right? ...That's ridiculous."
In recommending five years of probation, including six months of house arrest and 500 hours of community service, Thompson argued that "Liang has no prior criminal history and poses no future threat to public safety. Because his incarceration is not necessary to protect the public, and due to the unique circumstances of this case, a prison sentence is not warranted." NYPD Commissioner Bill Bratton told 1010 WINS that Thompson's recommendation took "courage," and congratulated the DA while condemning those who protested against his decision.
Gurley's family called his recommendation part of an "on-going pattern of a severe lack of accountability for officers that unjustly kill and brutalize New Yorkers that allows the violence to continue," and said that it "sends the message that officers can continue to kill Black New Yorkers without consequence."
Liang's sentencing is scheduled for April 14th, and he faces up to 15 years in prison.
